Automatic batch dispensing apparatus



y 7, 956 R. E. HELTZEL 2,754,996

AUTOMATIC BATCH DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l ROBERT E. HELTZEL INVENTOR v WM-W MM ATTORNEYS y 1956 R. E. HELTZEL AUTOMATIC BATCH DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 6.

INVENTOR ROBERT E. HELTZEL BY WMQMM WMMES y 1956 R. E. HELTZEL 2,754,996

AUTOMATIC BATCH DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7.

m A92 M FIG. 8.

INVENTOR /5'4 ROBERT E. HELTZEL ATTORNEYS United States Patent AUTOMATIC BATCH DISPENSING APPARATUS Robert E. Heltzel, Warren, Ohio Application September 12, 1951, Serial No. 246,198 6 Claims. (Cl. 22277) This invention appertains to a material handling and measuring apparatus for dispensing predetermined quantitles or batches of a material for instance cement, sand, flour or other bulk materials.

A main object of this invention is to provide an improved type of machine for measuring out predetermined batches of a material by means of a rapid gravity feed device and a companion forced dribble feed device, both of the devices being governed in their operation by a control means, which is responsive to the feeding of material by the feed devices.

A further object of this invention is to provide a feeding mechanism for feeding a predetermined quantity of material from a supply bin into a weigh hopper, the weigh hopper governing the operation of the feeding mechanism through an electrical control system.

These and other objects and structural features of merit are obtained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherem:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevation of the feeding mechanism, illustrating in detail the arrangement of the rapid feed device and the companion dribble feed device and the operating mechanism for the rapid feed device, the mechanism being shown in its operating position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the feeding mechanism, with a portion of the housing being broken away to illustrate in detail the dribble feed device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the feeding mechanism, illustrating the operating means for the dribble feed device;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the feeding mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the gate or closure for the chute of the rapid feed device in a closed position;

i Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the parts moved to subsequent positions;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the complete apparatus, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparams, with parts omitted to explain in detail the operation of the weigh hopper in moving the indicator.

With continued reference to the accompanying drawings, the automatic batch delivery apparatus, as seen specifically in Figs. 5. and 6, generally includes a rapid gravity feed device 12 and a forced dribble feed device 14. Both of the feed devices are arranged in communication'with a supply bin 16 to feed batches of material from the bin, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The material fed by the feed devices accumulates in a weigh or measuring hopper 18, which is suspended from the supply bin 16 by a Weigh lever system 20. The lever system 20 is coupled to an indicator 22, which is manually set in. accordance with the desired amount of material Patented July 17, 1956 to be accumulated in the weigh hopper, the indicator insuring the accurate delivery of a predetermined quantity of material by the combined feed devices and responding to the weight of the material in the weigh hopper to operate electrical control means for closing the feed devices.

The material is fed into the weigh hopper 18 by the rapid feed device and the dribble feed device, the rapid feed device permitting a large volume of material to pass into the weigh hopper in a relatively short period of time. However, because of the nature of most bulk materials, which tend to surge through a gravity feed device in varied quantities subject to such variations in the material as moisture content, temperature and mass, it is impossible to accurately deliver or dispense the material solely through the rapid feed device into the weigh hopper.

Therefore, when the major portion of the material is delivered to the weigh hopper, the indicator, through an electrical circuit, actuates a control member for the rapid feed device, which closes off the rapid feed device. A smaller volume of material is still dispensed by the forced feed dribble device, until the predetermined or selected quantity of material is accumulated in the weigh hopper. The further movement of the weigh hopper, under the additional load of material accumulated therein, operates the indicator to control, through an electrical circuit, a control member for the dribble feed device.

Thus, it can be seen that the two feed devices satisfy the essential factors in a material delivering or dispensing system for industrial application namely, speed and accuracy, the rapid feed device satisfying the requirement of speed and the forced dribble feed device satisfying the requirement of accuracy.

The rapid feed device and the dribble feed device are disposed in side by side relationship in a casing 24, which includes a top wall 26, opposing side walls 28 and 30, a rear wall 32 and a front wall 34, with the bottom of the casing being open. An opening 36 is formed in the top wall 26 of the casing and is registered with the mouth of the supply bin 16, the casing being attached to the supply hopper. A cut off plate 40 is mounted for sliding movement in the framework to close off the opening 36 in the top wall 26 of the casing, the plate being formed with an opening registrable with the opening 36 to establish communication between the supply bin and the casing. The plate 40 is provided to seal off the mouth of the supply bin, so that the casing can be removed for re placement or to permit the various parts in the casing to be replaced or repaired without loss of material from the bin.

A pair of spaced Walls 42 and 44 depend from the top wall 26 of the casing and are disposed parallel with the front and rear walls 34 and 32 of the casing, the walls 42 and 44 defining a chute 46 in cooperation with a pair of opposing side walls 47 and 49, as seen in Figure 4. The chute 46 constitutes a passageway for the gravity flow of material from the supply bin 16 into the weigh hopper 18 and the flow of material therethrough is controlled by a gate 48.

The gate 48 is constructed and operated in a manner described in my Patent No. 2,663,466, granted December 22, 1953.

As seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the gate 48 is arcuate in crosssection and provides a closure for the mouth of the chute 46, the gate being provided on its concave side with a compressible lining 50, so that the edges of the gate 48 are sealingly engageable with the lower edges of the chute. The gate 48 is carried by side plates 52 disposed exteriorly of the opposing sides 47 and 49 of the chute and interposed between the chute sides 47 and 49 and the opposing side walls 28 and 30 of the casing. Arcuate 3 cam straps 54 are welded to the upper ends of the side plates 52. Eccentrics 56 are rotatably disposed within circular openings 58 formed between the upper ends of the side plate 52 and the arcuate cam straps 54. An elongated sleeve 60 is transversely fixed between the opposing sides of the chute, and a rotary operating shaft 62 is rotatably disposed in the sleeve, the shaft having its opposing ends projecting beyond the ends of the sleeve and receiving the eccentrics 56, which are keyed thereon.

Collars 64 are keyed on the extending ends of the shaft and provide a shaft mounting means for arms 66, which extend radially from the collars and are fixed "thereby to the shaft 62 for swinging movement corresponding to the rotative movement of the shaft. Abutments 68 are mounted on the side plates 52 of the gate 48, the abutments being disposed in the path of swinging movement of the arms 66 to entrain the gate to the shaft. so that the gate can be angularly swung out of alignment with the chute.

.Stops 70 are carried by the opposing sides of the gate 48 and project rearwardly in parallel relation therefrom, the outer free ends of the stops being engageable with the rear wall of the casing 24 to limit the rearward angular swinging movement of the gate relative to a closed position in alignment with the chute 46.

Means is provided for manually and pneumatically rotating the operating shaft 62 and, as seen in Figure 1, includes a toggle linkage 72 and a toggle linkage 88. The toggle linkage 88 is provided for the pneumatic actuation of the shaft and the toggle linkage 72 is provided for the manual operation of the shaft.

To accommodate both linkages, a rocker arm 74 is provided, the link 76 of the toggle linkage 72 being pivotally attached to the upper end of the arm. A link 78, being part of the toggle linkage 72, is pivoted to the outer end of the link 76 and is fixed to a pin 79, which is rotatably mounted in a bracket 80, which depends from the frame. One arm of a crank 82 is fixed on the pin '79 and the other crank arm carries a handle 86 at its free end, which handle can be grasped to move the linkage 72, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The toggle linkage 88 includes a link 89, which is pivoted to the offset lower end of the rocker arm 74 and to a depending bracket 90. An air cylinder 92 is pivotally suspended by means of a bracket 94 from the supply bin and the piston rod 96 is pivotally connected to the toggle center 98 of the toggle linkage 88.

In order to prevent relative angular movement between the gate 48 and the arms 66 during the angular movement of the gate to a position in alignment with the discharge opening or mouth of the chute, so that rectilinear movement of the gate toward the chute opening is prevented until the stops 70 carried by the gate abut against the rear wall of the casing 24, resilient means 100 is provided. The means 100 includes helical springs 162, which are concentrically wound on the collars 64 and are formed at their opposing ends with radially extending legs 104 and 106, the legs 104 engaging the forward edges of the side Walls 52 of the gate 48 and the legs 106 engaging the rear edges of the arms 66.

The gate 48 is depicted in Fig. in a closed position, the lining 50 being compressed against the lower edges of the chute 46 and effectively scaling off the mouth of the chute. The gate is held in a raised position by the eccentrics 56 and, of course, accidental rotation of the eccentrics incident to accidental rotation of the operating shafts 62 is prevented by the toggle linkages 72 and 88 which afford a toggle lock.

In operation, the gate is moved from the fully closed position of Fig. 5 to the angularly swung dotted-line position of Fig. 6 upon rotation of the shaft 62. The shaft 62 is rotated in a clockwise direction and the initial rotative movement of the shaft, under the actuating power of the piston rod 96 which operates the linkage 88, efiects a corresponding rotary movement of the eccentrics 56.

Thus, during the initial rotary movement of the shaft, the eccentrics 56 cam the gate 48 to an open position, the gate moving down away from the chute in a straight line or rectilinear motion, so that the gate and its associated lining 56 are free from engagement with the chute. The gate is then free to swing in an angular path of movement within the casing 24 and from a position out of alignment with the chute 46. In moving through the initial movement, the shaft has carried around with it the arms 66 from the position of Fig. 5 to the position in full lines of Fig. 6, where the arms encounter the abutments 68 entertaining the gate to swing with the arms throughout the remainder of the rotative movement of the shaft and arms 66, that is to the dotted position of Fig. 6 in which the gate 48 is swung to one side clear of the bottom opening in the chute 46. The straight line of rectilinear movement of the gate 48 is set forth. The rotary motion of the shaft 62 is for the purpose of rotating the cams 56, which as they rotate within the openings in the upper ends of the side plates 52 and bear on the cam straps 54, force the gate straight down or bring it straight up. That is the purpose of having the eccentrics 56, which as they rotate on the shaft 62 move the gate in a straight line up or down. The initial rotary movement of the shaft 62, resulting in the rotation of the cams 56, cannot effect any swinging movement of the gate nor can such rotary motion of the shaft be translated into swinging movement of the gate except by the arms 66, which engage the abutments 68.

In closing, the gate 48 is rotated in an opposite direction, upon the return stroke of the piston rod 96, and in swinging counterclockwise, the arms 66 with the abutments 68 engaging the arms will transmit a follow motion to the gate inasmuch as the legs 104 and 106 of the spring 102 will retain the arms 66 in engagement with the abutments 68 so that relative rotation of the operating shaft 62 is to the gate 47 is prevented and the gate will hang on the arms 66, as the gate passes through the material flowing under gravity from the chute 48.

When the stops 70 abut the rear wall 24 of the casing, the angular motion of the gate is arrested. At that time, the spring pressure is overcome by a torsional force transmitted to the arms 66 by continued rotation of the shaft and, as the spring pressure is overcome, the shaft rotates relative to the arrested gate with the eccentrics camming the gate to a raised position in a straight line path of movement.

The working movements of the piston in the cylinder 92 may be controlled by a solenoid operated valve, the extending and retracting strokes of the piston rod controlling through the toggle linkage 88 the rotary movement of the shaft 62 and the operation of the gate 48 to control the delivery of the material through the chute 46. The solenoid for the valve is energized and de-energized by an electrical circuit under the control of the weigh hopper as described in Patent 2,097,551 to Garlinghouse.

As seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the dribble feed device 14 includes a pair of superimposed tubes 112 and 114, which are mounted transversely in the casing between the rear wall of the casing 24 and the rear wall 44 of the chute 46. The tubes extend laterally from the side 30 of the casing 24 and have their outer ends retained in fixed position by a plate 116, which is bolted to a plate 117.

The outer ends of the tubes are communicated by means of registered openings 118 and 120, which are formed in the adjoining walls thereof and the upper tube is formed with an opening 122 in registry with the mouth of the supply bin 16. Directly beneath the opening 122, an opening 124 is formed in the bottom wall of the lower tube 114 so that material from the supply bin 16 enters the upper tube 112 through the opening 122 and passes into the lower or bottom tube 114 through the registered openings 118 and 120 and is discharged from the lower tube 114 through the opening 124 in said lower tube. The passage of the material through the tubes 112 and 114 is effected by a forced feed, the forced feed including screw conveyors 126 and 128, which are rotatably disposed within the tubes. The adjoining extending ends of the screw conveyors have sprockets 130 and 132 fixedly circumposed thereon. A drive chain 134 is entrained on the sprockets and is driven by a drive sprocket 136, which is fixedly circumposed on the drive shaft 138 of an electric motor 140, which includes a gear reduction unit.

Brackets 142 support the motor and are adjustably fastened by bolts 144 to a lateral flange 146 formed on the plate 116, the bolts passing through mounting flanges 148 formed on the brackets, and a bracket 149 formed on the tube 112.

Both of the screw conveyors 126 and 128 rotate in the same direction and are oppositely pitched, so that the upper screw conveyor, when rotating, moves the material outwardly in the upper tube and the lower screw conveyor, when rotating, moves the material in an opposite direction or inwardly in the lower tube.

As seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the weigh hopper 18 is suspended by the weighing lever system 20 from the framework 38 attached to the supply bin 16. The indicator 22 is mounted on a base 152 which is supported by a framework 153. The lever system 20 includes an arm 154, which is fixedly fitted as at 156 to the'fr'amework 153 and is pivotally connected by apivotal co nnection 158 to a lever 160. The lever 160 terminates in a rack bar 161, which is enmeshed with pinions 163 and rotates a gear 165 engaged with a driven gear 167 fixedly circumposed on a spindle 210, as seen in Fig. 9. A centrifugal weight 169 is carried by the gear 165, the assembly being of the conventional scale type, with the weight 169 maintaining the hopper 18 in a normal empty position and, as the hopper is filled it moves slightly with the gears being moved to rotate the spindle. The weight 169 is swung outwardly under the added weight of the hopper 18 but, upon release of the load therein, functions, through the lever system, to return the hopper 18 to its normal posi tion.

The weigh hopper is formed at its upper end with a laterally extending peripheral flange 164 from which hanger rods 166 extend, the rods extending vertically through suitable openings in the flange and having retaining nuts on their lower ends to engage the flange. The hanger rods 166 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the outer ends of a pair of cooperative bars 168, 170 which are positioned on opposite sides of the hopper. The bars terminate at their outer ends in bearing blocks 172, which are rotatably journaled on supports 174. The inner adjoining ends of the bars are pivotally connected together by a pivot pin 176, which is slidably disposed in axial slots 178 formed in the inner ends of the bars. Hanger rods 180 are pivoted at their lower ends to the bearing blocks and are connected to the framework 38. A link 182 is pivoted by the pin 176 to the adjoining ends of the bars 168 and 170 and extends upwardly therefrom, the upper end of the link being connected by pivot pin 184 to a rocker arm 186. The rocker arm is secured by a fixed pivot 188 to one side of the casing 24 and an adjustable counter-weight 190 is disposed on one end thereof. The opposing end of the rocker arm is pivoted to a lever 194, which is secured by pivot pin 195 to the end of the arm 154.

The weigh hopper is retained in a raised normal position by the weights on the gears 167 as in a conventional scale system and is moved downwardly, reactive to the accumulation of material therein. As the hopper is weighted by the deposited material, the bars 168 and 170 are pivoted, so that their adjoinng ends are moved to an inclined position. The downward movement of the adjoining bars moves the arm 186 about its pivot 188 to raise the lever 194 and move the lever 160 downwardly, as the arm 154 is rocked about the pivot 156.

Of course, while the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described and illustrated, it is to be 6 understood that modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. For use with a batching apparatus having a supply bin with a discharge mouth and a weigh hopper positioned to receive material from said bin, a supply discharge chute comprising opposed front rear and side walls, a partition in said chute dividing same into a rapid feed compartment and a dribble feed compartment, the upper end of both said compartments being adapted to be placed in registry with the discharge mouth of the supply bin, gate means carried by said chute and being positioned to open and close the discharge of said rapid feed compartment, a pair of horizontally disposed tubes in said dribble feed compartment disposed one above the other and being so disposed in said dribble feed compartment that no material introduced into said dribble feed compartment can flow past said tubes, said upper tube having a filling opening in is top at one end thereof to receive material from said supply bin and having an opening through its bottom at the end removed from said filling end, said lower tube having an opening through its top in registry with the lower opening of said upper tube, said lower tube having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof at the end remote from the top opening of said tube, force feed screws in said tubes the peripheral surfaces of the flights thereof being slightly less than the internal diameter of said tubes whereby only upon rotation of said screws will material be passed through said dribble feed compartment, and drive means operatively associated with said screws for compelling rotation thereof.

2. A supply discharge chute so claimed in claim 1 wherein both said upper and lower force feed screws are oppositely pitched but are driven in the same direction.

3. A supply discharge chute as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gate means is provided with a resilient liner and means for sealing said rapid feed compartment upon closure of said gate means.

4. For use with a batch dispensing apparatus having a supply bin positioned to discharge bulk material into a weigh hopper, a material flow control device comprising a chute adapted to be positioned at the discharge of said supply bin and having closed side and end walls, said chute being open at its top and bottom, a partition is said chute dividing said compartment into a rapid feed compartment and a dribble feed compartment, gate means operatively associated with the discharge end of said rapid feed compartment, means associated with said gate means for actuating same, a pair of screw type dribble feed conveyor members horizontally disposed in said chute one above the other, tubular easements about each conveyor screw, the upper conveyor casement having a filling opening positioned to receive bulk material from said supply b'in, both said easements having registering openings in their respective easements for transferring material from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, said lower conveyor feed screw casement having a discharge opening for dribble discharge of bulk material from said chute into the weigh hopper, and means for actuating said dribble feed conveyor members when said rapid feed gate is closed.

5. For use with a discharge chute lying a supply bin and weigh hopper in a batch dispensing apparatus, a feed control device comprising a rapid feed compartment in said chute, a gate operatively associated with the discharge of said rapid feed compartment, gate actuating means for said gate, a dribble feed compartment comprising two horizontally disposed tubes one vertically above the other, said tubes being in communication with each other at one end of said tube, said upper tube having a top filling opening at the end remote from its communication with the lower tube, said lower tube having a bottom discharge opening at its end remote from its communication with the upper tube, feed screws in said upper and lower tubes, and drive means operatively associated with said feed screws and rapid feed gate whereby said dribble-feed screws can be driven only when said gate is in closed position, said dribble feed screws having opposed pitch whereby material supplied to the upper tube at one end is driven to the other end of said upper tube, discharged into said lower tube, driven to the other end of said lower tube and discharged from the chute into the weigh hopper.

6. In a batching plant, a supply bin, a weigh hopper positioned to receive bulk material from said supply bin, a discharge chute between said supply bin and weigh hopper comprising a rapid feed means positioned to receive material from said supply bin and to discharge same into said weigh hopper, dribble feed means consisting of a pair of tubes disposed one above the other in contact with one another, the upper tube having a filling opening in the top thereof in registry with the discharge of said supply bin and the lower tube having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, both said tubes being in communication with each other through openings in each removed from the filling and discharge openings, feed screws in said tubes the outer diameters of which are slightly less than the internal diameter of said tubes, and drive means operatively associated with said feed screws whereby upon closing of said rapid feed means the only material which may be deposited in said weigh hopper must come from the positive driving of said feed screws rotating in the tubes of said dribble feed means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 499,389 Malrnfelt June 13, 1893 565,220 Richards Aug. 4, 1896 1,209,597 Lassiter Dec. 19, 1916 1,259,836 Close Mar. 19, 1918 2,022,867 Middleboe Dec. 3, 1935 2,058,775 Cundall Oct. 27, 1936 2,097,551 Garlinghouse Nov. 2, 1937 2,208,284 Weckerly July 16, 1940 2,226,242 Harrington Dec. 24, 1940 2,264,562 Bryant Dec. 2, 1941 2,314,654 Merrifield Mar. 23, 1943 2,321,838 McBean June 15, 1943 2,516,456' Fischer July 25, 1950 2,527,147 Noble Oct. 24, 1950 2,596,824 Scott May 13, 1952 2,613,053 Dorrington et a1. Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 382,429 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1932 

